TURNER – A little less than 24 hours after winning his third TD Banknorth 250 and his 150th career victory at Oxford Plains Speedway, Mike Rowe was finally able to relax and reflect on the accomplishment.
The phone was still ringing fairly frequently with congratulatory calls and requests for quotes from various media outlets.
“It really has set in now, and it feels fantastic,” said Rowe. “I had a long day yesterday, but in the end it all paid off.”
Rowe says hard work by his crew played a key role in the milestone victory.
“They were just terrific all day long,” Rowe said. “We bent a sway bar in the heat race, so they fixed it and didn’t get rattled at all. It really requires a team effort to succeed in racing, and I’m blessed with a group that works well together.”
During the victory celebration Sunday evening, Rowe said it was “the hardest 250 I ever won.” When asked about the reasons for that, he readily elaborated.
“It’s because of the level of competition out there today,” he said. “You’ve got 12 or 15 cars capable of winning, and the leaders were setting a fast pace. With that said, you still have to be patient and save something for the end. It took not only a fast car to win, but a ton of patience as well.”
Another reason for the strong performance on Sunday night is the quality car provided by team owners Scott Pullen and Steve Perry.
“The team I’m driving for now, SP2 Motorsports, had this car built by Jeff Taylor at Distance Racing,” Rowe said. “Of every dozen or so cars built, despite the fact they are all nearly identical, there is usually one that ends up better than the rest. We have one of those special cars right now, it sure ran great last night when it counted.”
Another of Oxford’s short track legends comes to Rowe’s mind as he reflects on his feat.
“I’d like to dedicate my 150th win at Oxford to Leland Kangas,” Rowe said. “He was a gifted driver and meant a lot to many people.”
Kangas, a multi-time feature winner at OPS, was killed in a motorcycle accident last year. It is clear fans and drivers at the track haven’t forgotten the popular driver. Throughout the 250 weekend, signs remembering the regional star were displayed at several campsites.
Now that the engines have gone silent, and only that huge trophy and memories remain, Rowe can relax.
“It was a long and tiring weekend, but one I’ll never forget,” he said. “To get my third 250 win and 150th overall in such a big race made it a very special night.”
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